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desperate need of help!!!

Hello, Im new to this site and I wanted to know if some one could help me? First I'll start by saying my daughter is 2 weeks old she was born on the 5th of march. we had a bad start to bf because the hospital didnt provide any help in latching until the next day. In the meantime my newborn was crying so I gave in to formula. Un able to latch her I continued with formula (enfamil newborn) until she got really bad colic. the only thing that helped was colief lactase the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Then my doctor recommend changing formulas to gentle ease. Which helped a lot, but I really wanted to bf so I started to pump in order to increase my milk supply and nursing in occassion. We still dont have a good latch. Unfortunely last night she began with colics again. Is my baby lactose interolent? Do i have to stop intaking dairy products? Im so desperate for help my doctor isnt helping much, some times I want to give in to formula again and stick to gentle ease. I dont think I have a oversupply because my supply is about 1oz and a half. And she doesnt nurse very well yet. I also supplement about 1 to 2 oz of formula.

Re: desperate need of help!!!

Hi mama, welcome to the forum! And congratulations on the new baby! Sorry to hear about your bad start. But it definitely does not mean you cannot breastfeed your daughter! Lots of people have a difficult time in the beginning. I'll get the ball rolling with some questions and comments.

First, how often are you nursing right now? Do you have any pain when your LO latches on? Can you describe a little more what you mean when you say LO is not nursing well? How many times a day are you pumping? What kind of pump are you using? How many times a day are you giving formula?

I think one of the most important things you can do, as soon as possible, is to see a lactation consultant, preferably in IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant), to work with you on baby's latch, evaluate baby for tongue-ties, etc.

While you are working on the latch, the other really important thing to do is to stimulate your supply. First, note that your pump output says nothing about your supply. It might be fine. But often when baby has been getting supplements and is not nursing well, that means mama has not had the stimulation at the breast that tells her body to make milk. So to the extent that your baby is able to nurse, you want to let her nurse, and nurse, and nurse. And to the extent that she is taking formula, it would help for you to pump when she's taking formula, to make up for the fact that rather than being at the breast stimulating your milk supply, she is taking the bottle. And then you can use the pumped milk as a supplement the next feed and give a little less formula. The better the pump you have, the more you will be able to stimulate milk supply with the pump. Ideally a hospital-grade pump, which you can rent; or a top-of-the-line double electric pump, like the Medela Pump in Style Advance or the Hygeia Enjoye.

As for the colic - keep in mind that the most easily digested food for baby is breastmilk. But even exclusively breastfed babies can develop colic. Mommal has a helpful list of tips for dealing with colic (and I have a feeling she will reply to this thread the next time she pops on!).

Re: desperate need of help!!!

Tips for coping with colic:
- Nurse. nurse nurse nurse nurse nurse. If the baby is willing, there is nothing more soothing (or better for supply).
- Motion. Rock in a rocker, put baby in a swing, bounce on an exercise ball, etc.
- White noise. Put on radio static, run the vacuum cleaner, run the dryer, etc.
- Closeness. Hold baby close to your bare chest or cuddled in a sling. Heartbeat and breathing sounds are very soothing.
- Take baby outside for some fresh air.
- Give baby a warm bath.

Coping with colic is all about changing the baby's sensory input. Can you tell us more about your baby's behavior? Does the colicky behavior strike at any particular time of day, perhaps in the evenings? What does she do when colicky? Can you console her? Will she nurse?

Lactose intolerance is extremely uncommon in babies. Babies are designed to digest lactose- it is during infancy that huans produce the most lactase (the enzyme which breaks down lactose). When a baby is truly unable to digest lactose, it is usually due to rare congenital conditions that are health-threatening. This link explains in detail: http://kellymom.com/health/baby-heal...e-intolerance/ Some babies will become uncomfortable due to something called lactose overload, but this is a problem that occurs when a mom h an oversupply of milk.

Re: desperate need of help!!!

Sorry it took so long to reply my lo has kept me very busy. Her colic too me has gotten worse or at least her fussiness has, it use to be only once a day, now I cant get her to sleep for longer than 2 hours and thats pushing it. Sometimes i wonder if i have a supply issue because it occures after almost all feedings. She even fusses while sleeping contantly complaining and moving her hands waking up and going back to sleep. ch Her longest sleep periods are in the car or on my chest. I took milk out of my diet for about 5 to 6 days now had two good days i thought that i found the cause and now im back to a even more fussy baby. (I still havent added milk to my diet)She nurses a lot thats the only thing that consoles her. I only offer one breast at a time. but I never fully feel soft. at times i become so frustrated i cry and pray that it goes aways. I want to see her happy. at times she gags, gulp, gasp, cough while nursing. she pulls off the breast and makes clicking sounds. and she definity spit up often but she stills loves to to nurse. So i dont know what it is or what to. I believe she may also have some degree of reflux can that cause gas or fussiness? how to i know for sure if i have an oversupply? will it ever get better. I feel like i have the most unhappy baby ever. She is a good baby she never cries she is only fussy. please please help...

Re: desperate need of help!!!

A lot of what you describe sounds like baby is having a problem with oversupply and fast letdowns. You nurse on just one breast at a time, never feel like the breast is drained and soft, and baby is making classic fast letdown noises (gag, gulp, gasp, cough, click) and pulling off the breast. I think you can pretty safely assume that some degree of oversupply is occurring right now. The best thing you can do to start is to adopt reclined nursing positions and see if that helps. If it doesn't, you may need to do some block feeding, but you probably don't want to go the just yet.

Be patient, mama! All the problems you are having will improve in time. As your baby grows, she will become better able to handle rapid milk flow, and your supply should eventually adjust to meet her needs a little more accurately, without so much extra milk being made.

Re: desperate need of help!!!

I think what you are going through is normal. My LO is 6 weeks and around the 2-3 week mark he nursed around the clock. My LO still wakes up ever 2 hrs or so, but you have to remember that the breast milk digest quicker then formula. I have this really awesome Arms Reach Co-sleeper which is great bc when my LO starts to sturr I just grab him, sit up and nurse and lay him back in it. He hardly every wakes up 100%. I too through that I had an issue with milk, actually posted on her 3 weeks ago in the same situation as you. He started to spit up a bit, nurse all the time and I was about to die I was so sore! The only thing that I can say is it gets better! You just have to stick it out. Now, at 6 weeks my chest doesn't hurt when he latches and I don't feel "full" or sore anymore. I read that this is normal bc your breast get use to producing milk. My LO also will gulp, gag at times. I have learned that I need to nurse him in the football position so I can prop him up so its not shooting down his throat....almost like he would panic the other way. Get to a lactation consultant and I would try to put your LO to the breast every time he wants to eat. IT WILL GET BETTER! YOU CAN DO THIS!

~~~Side note, this is my 4th boy (oldest single, then twins) I couldn't nurse any of them. I though I didn't produce enough, used formula and gave up! Well this time I have 45 oz in the freezer at 6 weeks, 12 in the fridge (going back to work) and he is gaining weight like a champ! Looking back, I think I could have done it with the others. You just got to put the bottle down and let nature do its job!